The Wave Transition With Owner & CEO Julian Topham

Julan Topham is used to storms. He’s put on multimillion-dollar festivals, like Boardmasters, for several years and knows that something as wonderful and sublime as rain can make or break an event. He knows that big, expensive productions (which is what a wave pool is, really) are exposed to the whims of the climate, both literally and figuratively.

Media outlets pounced on the tumultuous changeover of ownership that closed the gates of Bristol's best-known attraction and left employees and surfers wondering what was to come next. Much of the post-mortem dialogue focused on whether the changeover was some Machiavellian financial maneuver or a simple fiduciary update. We’ve heard from both sides, and there is no middle ground. Which means neither will be happy with whichever story is told. And whichever side you land on, the one undeniable fact is that Julian and Sea Level Wave Company Limited are now the owners of The Wave Bristol surf park. But for us, the real question is, how will Julian run this large, multimillion-dollar facility? We explore this and much more in our latest episode of the WavePoolMag podcast.